Councillor Susie Douglas's inspiring rally speech

Feb 5, 2006

Speech for Save Our Spit Alliance 5th February, 2006.

Thankyou to the organizers of this rally for keeping up the fight to keep this land and seaway the property of the people.

I stand here with two hats on today. First and foremost I am the local area councillor and secondly I am the senior vice president of the National Party of Queensland. The same party which passed a unanimous resolution last July that the area north of Seaworld Nara including Wave Break island remain as public recreational space for future generations to enjoy.

Mr Beattie must understand this public outrage will not be going away. At a time when the Gold Coast cancer sufferers have to travel to Brisbane for treatment because of the lack of money for health they can find millions to make this happen.

The Labor Government think they will fail in their job if they don't deliver a shipping terminal to the Gold Coast. I say they will fail if they do. This area and its pristine nature attracts millions of tourists each year. It is the green next to the gold. It is the only place on the Coast where you can getaway. It is boaties paradise. It is doggy paradise. It is fishing paradise and provides access for Surfers to some of the best breaks on the coast. Our dive industries provide tourists with the barrier reef experience without having to leave the coast. For hundreds of thousands who choose to live in high rise apartments this is their recreational space. This is where they can breathe.

To the Premier and Labor members of the Gold Coast, please stop now before you go any further and wait to put this to the people at the next election.

Mr Beattie before the next election prove to the people its economic benefits. Prove that the dredging won't destroy revetment walls and be a threat of flooding to property owners. Prove to us that the military ships docking here will not be a nuclear threat or cause environmental damage. Prove to us that thousands of day trippers will be able to actually get off the spit with the traffic constraints we already have.

I am the area Councillor. I have been charged with representing the people of this area and the message they are giving me is that this is wrong. They are saying that this nothing more than a land grab.

I have been chastised by our mayor for not supporting this shipping terminal saying that I am not representing the council but there is a resolution by council that this all remains public open space and many of the councillors who voted unanimously for it are still in the chambers.

Fight hard ladies and gentlemen because the only way we will win this is by people power. Thankyou.